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River Ridge redevelopment plans move forward

The River Ridge Development Authority plans to take nearly 3 acres of land through eminent domain as part of an undisclosed project where staff say a commercial developer wants to purchase 15 acres. The Jeffersonville City Council on Monday night gave the River Ridge board its blessing to move forward with taking the land, which includes about 900 feet along railroad tracks owned by Mid-America Rail Storage and Leasing. The River Ridge board unanimously approved the plan earlier in the afternoon.

The River Ridge Development Authority plans to acquire nearly three acres of land through eminent domain as part of an undisclosed project in which agency staff members say a commercial developer wants a total of 15 acres.

The Jeffersonville City Council on Monday night gave the River Ridge board its blessing to move forward with taking the land, which includes about 900 feet along railroad tracks owned by Mid-America Rail Storage and Leasing. The River Ridge board unanimously approved the plan earlier in the afternoon.

The federal government, in decommissioning the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, deeded the roughly 55 miles of rail lines in what’s now the 6,000-acre business and industrial park to Mid-America.

Attorney David Lewis, who represents the River Ridge board, said state law requires it to try negotiating what both sides consider a fair purchase price before filing a lawsuit.

Greg Miller, president and chief executive of Louisville-based Mid-America Rail, said he was disappointed to hear Monday night about River Ridge’s plan to pave over the tracks instead of relocating them since it has worked with River Ridge officials for the last 17 years when land is needed.

“We’re one of the longest tenants up there,” Miller said, adding that the company will continue to maintain other tracks in River Ridge.

River Ridge also continues working with the company to relocate some rail lines to open up more sites along Patrol Road, which runs parallel to and just southeast of one of its main transportation routes, Ind. 62.

And other redevelopment projects continue closer to the Ohio River, including construction of a manufacturing and distribution facility for Swiss-based auto-parts supplier Autoneum, a project that River Ridge officials say remains on-schedule.

Two of the 178 former ammunition storage units known as “igloos” were recently demolished. River Ridge staff members plan to ask the board next month to spend about $260,000 on equipment to finish the demolition themselves instead of contracting it out, which they say could make the project profitable once steel is separated and sold.

Also Monday, the board awarded Sellersburg-based Excel Excavating a $1.6 million contract for the third phase of road improvements on Trey Street. The board received five bids with Excel being the lowest, roughly $341,000 below the $1.95 million engineering estimate.

Clarksville-based Dan Cristiani Excavating also was awarded a $477,389 contract for construction of part of Logistics Avenue, a road north of the Amazon warehouse that, under River Ridge’s heavy-haul road agreement with the state, county, Ports of Indiana and municipalities, will tie into Charlestown Pike near Ind. 62.

Cristiani’s bid was the lowest of seven bids for the project, which engineers estimated would cost $503,000.

River Ridge also continues working with the Army Corps of Engineers on some parcels where environmental cleanup is needed.

Reporter Charlie White can be reached at (812) 949-4026 or on Twitter @c_write.